Political fragmentation of Rus', table of principalities. Vladimir-Suzdal Principality: princes

The period of feudal fragmentation, traditionally called the “appanage period,” lasted from the 12th to the end of the 15th centuries.

Feudal fragmentation weakened the defensive capabilities of the Russian lands. This became noticeable in the second half of the 11th century, when a new strong enemy appeared in the south - the Polovtsians (Turkic nomadic tribes). According to the chronicles, it is estimated that from 1061 to the beginning of the 13th century. There were more than 46 major Cuman invasions.

The internecine wars of the princes, the associated destruction of cities and villages, and the removal of the population into slavery became a disaster for peasants and townspeople. From 1228 to 1462, according to S. M. Solovyov, there were 90 wars between Russian principalities, in which there were 35 cases of taking cities, and 106 external wars, of which: 45 - with the Tatars, 41 - with the Lithuanians, 30 - with Livonian Order, the rest - with the Swedes and Bulgars. The population begins to leave Kyiv and neighboring lands to the northeast to the Rostov-Suzdal land and partially to the southwest to Galicia. Occupying the southern Russian steppes, the Polovtsians cut off Rus' from foreign markets, which led to a decline in trade. During the same period, European trade routes changed to Balkan-Asian directions as a result of the Crusades. In this regard, the Russian principalities experienced difficulties in international trade.

In addition to external ones, internal reasons for the decline of Kievan Rus also emerged. Klyuchevsky believed that this process was influenced by the degraded legal and economic position of the working population and the significant development of slavery. The courtyards and villages of the princes were full of “servants”; the position of the “purchasers” and “hiremen” (semi-free) was on the verge of a slave state. The Smerds, who retained their communities, were crushed by princely exactions and the growing appetites of the boyars. Feudal fragmentation and the growth of political contradictions between independent principalities expanding their territories led to changes in their social system. The power of the princes became strictly hereditary, the boyars, who received the right to freely choose their overlord, grew stronger, and the category of free servants (former ordinary warriors) multiplied. In the princely economy, the number of unfree servants grew, engaged in production and material support for the prince himself, his family, and members of the princely court.

As a result of the fragmentation of the ancient Russian state by the middle of the 12th century. separated into independent ten states-principalities. Subsequently, by the middle of the 13th century, their number reached eighteen. They were given names based on the capital cities: Kiev, Chernigov, Pereyaslav, Muromo-Ryazans. Suzdal (Vladimir). Smolensk, Galicia, Vladimir-Volynsk, Polotsk, Novgorod Boyar Republic. In each of the principalities, one of the branches of the Rurikovichs ruled, and the sons of princes and governor-boyars ruled individual appanages and volosts. However, all lands retained the same written language, a single religion and church organization, the legal norms of the “Russian Truth”, and most importantly, an awareness of common roots, a common historical destiny. At the same time, each of the established independent states had its own development characteristics. The largest of them, which played a significant role in the subsequent history of Rus', were: Suzdal (later - Vladimir) principality - North-Eastern Rus'; Galician (later - Galician-Volyn) principality - South-Western Rus'; Novgorod boyar republic - Novgorod land (North-Western Rus').

Principality of Suzdal

It was located between the Oka and Volga rivers. Its territory was well protected from external invasions by forests and rivers, it had profitable trade routes along the Volga with the countries of the East, and through the upper reaches of the Volga - to Novgorod and to the countries of Western Europe. The economic recovery was also facilitated by a constant influx of population. The Suzdal prince Yuri Dolgoruky (1125 - 1157), in the struggle with his nephew Izyaslav Mstislavich for the Kiev throne, repeatedly captured Kyiv. For the first time in the chronicle under 1147, Moscow is mentioned, where negotiations between Yuri and the Chernigov prince Svyatoslav took place. Yuri's son, Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157 - 1174) moved the capital of the principality from Suzdal to Vladimir, which he rebuilt with great pomp. The northeastern princes ceased to lay claim to rule in Kyiv, but sought to maintain their influence here, first by organizing military campaigns, then through diplomacy and dynastic marriages. In the fight against the boyars, Andrei was killed by the conspirators. His policy was continued by his half-brother, Vsevolod the Big Nest (1176 - 1212). He had many sons, for which he received such a nickname.

The settlers, who made up a significant proportion of the population, did not preserve the state traditions of Kievan Rus - the role of the “veche” and “mirs”. Under these conditions, the despotism of the power of the princes is growing, and they are intensifying the fight against the boyars. Under Vsevolod it ended in favor of the princely power. Vsevolod managed to establish close ties with Novgorod, where his sons and relatives reigned; defeated the Ryazan principality, organizing the resettlement of some of its inhabitants to his own possessions; successfully fought with Volga Bulgaria, putting a number of its lands under his control, and became related to the Kyiv and Chernigov princes. He became one of the strongest princes in Rus'. His son Yuri (1218 - 1238) founded Nizhny Novgorod and strengthened himself in the Mordovian lands. The further development of the principality was interrupted by the Mongol invasion.

Galicia-Volyn Principality

It occupied the northeastern slopes of the Carpathians and the territory between the Dniester and Prut rivers. The favorable geographical location (neighborhood with European states) and climatic conditions contributed to economic development, and the second migration flow from the southern Russian principalities was also sent here (to safer areas). Poles and Germans also settled here.

The rise of the Galician principality began under Yaroslav I Osmomysl (1153 - 1187), and under the Volyn prince Roman Mstislavich in 1199 the unification of the Galician and Volyn principalities took place. In 1203 Roman captured Kyiv. The Galician-Volyn principality became one of the largest states in feudal-fragmented Europe, its close ties were established with European states, and Catholicism began to penetrate Russian soil. His son Daniel (1221 - 1264) waged a long struggle for the Galician throne with its western neighbors (Hungarian and Polish princes) and the expansion of the state. In 1240, he united Southwestern Rus' and the Kyiv land and established his power in the fight against the boyars. But in 1241, the Galicia-Volyn principality was subjected to Mongol devastation. In the subsequent struggle, Daniel strengthened the principality, and in 1254 he accepted the royal title from the Pope. However, the Catholic West did not help Daniel in his fight against the Tatars. Daniel was forced to recognize himself as a vassal of the Horde khan. Having existed for about another hundred years, the Galician-Volyn state became part of Poland and Lithuania, which had a great influence on the formation of the Ukrainian nation. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania included Western Russian principalities - Polotsk, Vitebsk, Minsk, Drutsk, Turovo-Pinsk, Novgorod-Seversk, etc. The Belarusian nation was formed within this state.

Novgorod Boyar Republic

Novgorod land is the most important component of the ancient Russian state. During the period of feudal fragmentation, it retained its political significance, economic and trade relations with the West and the East, covering the territory from the Arctic Ocean to the upper reaches of the Volga from north to south, from the Baltic states and almost to the Urals from west to east. A huge land fund belonged to the local boyars. The latter, using the uprising of the Novgorodians in 1136, managed to defeat the princely power and establish a boyar republic. The supreme body became the veche, where the most important issues of life were decided and the Novgorod government was elected. In fact, the owners of it were the largest boyars of Novgorod. The mayor became the main official in the department. He was elected from the noblest families of Novgorodians. The veche also elected the head of the Novgorod church, who managed the treasury, controlled foreign relations and even had his own army. From the end of the 12th century. The position of the head of the trade and economic sphere of life in Novgorod society was called “tysyatsky”. It was usually occupied by large merchants. The princely power also retained certain positions in Novgorod. The veche invited the prince to wage war, but even the prince’s residence was located outside the Novgorod Kremlin. The wealth and military power of Novgorod made the Novgorod Republic an influential force in Rus'. Novgorodians became a military support in the fight against German and Swedish aggression against Russian lands. The Mongol invasion did not reach Novgorod. Wide trade ties with Europe determined the significant influence of the West in the Novgorod Republic. Novgorod became one of the major trade, craft and cultural centers not only in Rus', but also in Europe. The high level of culture of the Novgorodians shows the degree of literacy of the population, as can be seen from the “birch bark letters” discovered by archaeologists, the number of which exceeds a thousand.

Appearance in the second half of the 11th century. - first third of the 13th century. new political centers contributed to the growth and development of culture. During the period of feudal fragmentation, one of the greatest creations of ancient Russian culture, “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign,” arose. Its author, touching upon the circumstances of the defeat of the Novgorod-Seversk prince Igor Svyatoslavich in an everyday clash with the Polovtsians (1185), was able to turn it into a tragedy on a national scale. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” became a prophetic warning against the danger of princely strife, sounded four decades before the crushing Tatar-Mongol invasion.

Feudal fragmentation of Rus' name a historical period in the history of Rus', which is characterized by the fact that, formally being part of Kievan Rus, the appanage principalities gradually separated from Kyiv

The main reasons for the feudal fragmentation of Rus'

1. Preservation of significant tribal disunity under conditions of dominance of subsistence farming

2. Development of feudal land ownership and the growth of appanage, princely-boyar land ownership

3. Power struggle between princes and feudal feuds

4. Constant raids of nomads and outflow of population to the northeast of Rus'

5. The decline of trade along the Dnieper due to the Polovtsian danger and the loss of Byzantium’s leading role in international trade

6. The growth of cities as centers of appanage lands

Consequences of feudal fragmentation of Rus'

The main appanage principalities of Rus'

The largest appanage principalities of Rus' and their features

Peculiarities	Vladimir-Suzdal Principality	Galicia-Volyn principality	Novgorod Boyar Republic
Territorial	Territory: North-Eastern Rus', between the Oka and Volga rivers	The territory of South-West Rus', between the Dnieper and Prut rivers, the Carpathians Fertile lands, mild climate. Vulnerable to nomad raids	The climate and soils are unsuitable for agriculture. Outpost from Western aggression
Economic	The main branch of the economy is agriculture due to the abundance of fertile lands suitable for crop production With the influx of population from the southern Russian lands (XI-XII centuries), the development of new lands intensifies, new cities appear The location of the principality at the intersection of trade routes (along the Oka and Volga rivers)	The ancient center of Russian arable farming due to the abundance of fertile lands Development of rock salt production and supply of it to the territory of Southern Rus' Long-standing center of trade with South-Eastern and Central Europe, eastern countries	Leading sectors of the economy: trade and crafts Wide development of industries: salt making, iron production, fishing, hunting, etc. Active trade with Volga Bulgaria, the Baltic states, North German cities, Scandinavia
Socio-political	A constant influx of population in search of protection from nomad raids and normal conditions for farming Rapid growth of old cities: Vladimir, Suzdal, Rostov, Yaroslavl; new: Moscow, Kostroma, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky In new cities and lands there are weak veche traditions and weak boyars, which led to strong princely power The unlimited nature of the power of the prince and the advisory powers of the veche	The struggle for supremacy in Rus' and the capture of Kyiv A powerful boyars arose early, challenging the power of the princes	Weak princely power. Strong boyars and merchants, who held real political power Special state administrative structure of Novgorod (see diagram below)

Special state-administrative structure of Novgorod (diagram)

Table "Features of the Vladimir-Suzdal and Kyiv principalities": 1. natural conditions; 2. economic features; 3. socio-political features of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.
1. natural conditions; 2. economic features; 3. socio-political features of the Principality of Kyiv.

Answers and solutions.

Vladimir-Suzdal Principality.
1. Natural conditions: fertile lands, huge forests, numerous rivers and lakes, iron ore deposits, warm summers and moderately cold winters.
2. Economic features: the rapid growth of cities determined the development of crafts and trade, the main source of income was taxes from the population.
3. Socio-political features: the slower development of feudal relations, the urban population served as a support for the princely power, the higher clergy played an important role in the life of the state, the underdeveloped boyars.

Principality of Kiev.
1. Natural conditions: fertile flat lands, forest-steppe zones, the Dnieper River basin (favorable for the development of agriculture and trade), warm summers and mild winters.
2. Economic features: the basis of the economic development of the Kyiv principality was arable farming, the most important trade routes passed through the territory of the principality, Kyiv was the craft center of Rus'.
3. Socio-political features: a feature of the Kyiv principality was a large number of old boyar estates with fortified castles and significant masses of nomads settled on the territory of the principality.

The geographical location of which we will consider further lasted from 1132 to 1471. Its territory included the lands of the glades and Drevlyans along the Dnieper River and its tributaries - Pripyat, Teterev, Irpen and Ros, as well as part of the left bank.

Principality of Kiev: geographical location

This territory bordered the Polotsk land in the northwestern part, and Chernigov was located in the northeast. Western and southwestern neighbors were Poland and the Principality of Galicia. The city, built on the hills, was ideally located militarily. Speaking about the peculiarities of the geographical location of the Principality of Kyiv, it should be mentioned that it was well protected. Not far from it were the cities of Vruchiy (or Ovruch), Belgorod, and also Vyshgorod - all of them had good fortifications and controlled the territory adjacent to the capital, which provided additional protection from the western and southwestern sides. From the southern part it was covered by a system of forts built along the banks of the Dnieper, and nearby well-defended cities on the Ros River.

Principality of Kiev: characteristics

This principality should be understood as a state formation in Ancient Rus' that existed from the 12th to the 15th centuries. Kyiv was the political and cultural capital. It was formed from the separated territories of the Old Russian state. Already in the middle of the 12th century. the power of the princes from Kyiv had significant significance only within the borders of the principality itself. The city lost its all-Russian significance, and the rivalry for control and power lasted until the Mongol invasion. The throne passed in an unclear order, and many could lay claim to it. And also, to a large extent, the possibility of gaining power depended on the influence of the strong boyars of Kyiv and the so-called “black hoods”.

Social and economic life

The location near the Dnieper played a big role in economic life. In addition to communication with the Black Sea, he brought Kyiv to the Baltic, in which Berezina also helped. The Desna and Seim provided connections with the Don and Oka, and Pripyat - with the Neman and Dniester basins. Here was the so-called route “from the Varangians to the Greeks,” which was a trade route. Thanks to fertile soils and a mild climate, agriculture developed intensively; Cattle breeding and hunting were common, and residents were engaged in fishing and beekeeping. Crafts were divided early in these parts. “Woodworking” played a fairly significant role, as well as pottery and leatherworking. Thanks to the presence of iron deposits, the development of blacksmithing was possible. Many types of metals (silver, tin, copper, lead, gold) were delivered from neighboring countries. Thus, all this influenced the early formation of trade and craft relations in Kyiv and the cities located next to it.

Political history

As the capital loses its all-Russian significance, the rulers of the strongest principalities begin to send their proteges - “henchmen” - to Kyiv. The precedent in which Vladimir Monomakh was invited to the throne, bypassing the accepted order of succession, was subsequently used by the boyars to justify their right to choose a strong and pleasing ruler. The Principality of Kiev, whose history is characterized by civil strife, turned into a battlefield on which cities and villages suffered significant damage, were ruined, and the inhabitants themselves were captured. Kyiv saw a time of stability during the periods of Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich Chernigov, as well as Roman Mstislavovich Volynsky. Other princes who quickly succeeded each other remained more colorless in history. The Principality of Kiev, whose geographical position had previously allowed it to defend itself well for a long time, suffered greatly during the Mongol-Tatar invasion in 1240.

Fragmentation

The Old Russian state initially included tribal principalities. However, the situation has changed. Over time, when the local nobility began to be supplanted by the Rurik family, principalities began to form, ruled by representatives from the younger line. The established order of succession to the throne has always caused discord. In 1054, Yaroslav the Wise and his sons began to divide the Principality of Kiev. Fragmentation was the inevitable consequence of these events. The situation worsened after the Lyubechen Council of Princes in 1091. However, the situation improved thanks to the policies of Vladimir Monomakh and his son Mstislav the Great, who managed to maintain integrity. They were able to once again bring the principality of Kiev under control of the capital, the geographical position of which was quite favorable for protection from enemies, and for the most part only internal strife spoiled the position of the state.

With the death of Mstislav in 1132, political fragmentation set in. However, despite this, Kyiv for several decades retained the status of not only a formal center, but also the most powerful principality. His influence did not disappear completely, but was significantly weakened compared to the situation at the beginning of the 12th century.

During the period of fragmentation in Rus', several large centers emerged. One of them was the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality.

Location

The territory of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was located in the northeast of Rus', between the Oka and Volga rivers. This factor, as well as the favorable climate, contributed to the popularity of the principality and the strengthening of its independence.

On the site of ancient tribal centers, the main cities arose: Rostov, Suzdal, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Dmitrov. The largest cities of the principality: Murom, Yaroslavl. The capital of the principality since the middle of the 12th century is Vladimir on Klyazma.

The geographical location of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality played a big role in the development of these lands. This was due to the fact that the famous Volga trade route passed through the territory of the principality, which led to the development of trade and ensured a large influx of population. The neighbors of the Slavs - the Finno-Ugric tribes - conducted active trade with them and maintained cultural ties.

Economic development of the principality

The description of geographical conditions and their impact on the economy was briefly touched upon above. Let's look at this issue in more detail. Since ancient times, peoples have built their cities next to large rivers. They were a source of food, protected the territory from attacks by enemy tribes and contributed to the development of agriculture.

Natural and climatic conditions and the presence of fertile soil determined the development of agriculture, cattle breeding, hunting and fishing. The townspeople were actively engaged in trade and handicrafts, and art developed.

The presence of trade routes had a great influence on the economy of the principality. Import and export of goods is an important source of income not only for the population, but also for the princely treasury. The Slavs traded with eastern countries through the Volga trade route. Trade with Western European countries was also important. It was carried out through the sources of the Volga and the system of rivers flowing through the territory of the principality.

By the beginning of the 12th century, the process of forming a large boyar landholding began on the territory of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. The princes granted land to the boyars. They, in turn, were entirely dependent on the prince. We will consider the features of governance in the principality below.

Political structure

The control system of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was completely subordinate to the will of the prince, in whose hands all branches of power were concentrated. However, this did not exclude the existence of governing bodies, they were: the Council under the Prince, the Veche and feudal congresses. The first two were convened exclusively to resolve critical issues, in particular regarding politics at the international level.

A large role is given to the squad, which becomes the main support of princely power. Local government was subordinate to governors and volosts, who carried out the will of the prince.

Legislation in the principality was based on a set of laws created under the Russian Pravda.